First Heavy Week Completed

I still have one Essay to complete today, but this past week I have completed two essays, and took three tests.  Two tests were very difficult as one was 180 questions, and spanned the entire world map in Geography, and included obscure details regarding cities and rivers in Northern Europe and the British Isles.  The other very difficult one was in Psychology.  I noticed that several in the class failed the exam outright and were scoring in the 40% area.  It made me proud of my 83%, which is of course a B.  So glad I took those awesome notes and did not miss a day.  Attendance is a big deal as I take several pages of notes per day.  Friday less than half the class showed up in both classes due to weather.  I slipped and slided there and back.  In one class I got extra credit just for showing up, and in the other I took a page of notes that will be irreplacable when the next test comes around.  Both classes took less than an hour, and then I was on my way back home.

I have yet to see scores on anything else, but I'll keep this blog updated with my other grades as I go.

Right now I am having some difficulty tackling Math, but I hope to work hard on it at least some this weekend, and Monday in the Math Lab.  Tuesday I have to turn a packet in and take a test on Word Problems.  It may not be pretty unless I really dig in and make something amazing happen.  I don't have a choice, so it has to happen if I'm to stay on schedule for graduation.  Even if I ended up with a C, I'd take it at this point.  Still I'd like a good GPA, so I'm still expecting a B.  I have to aim high.

With the additional things that made the week stressful, I am pleased to have handled it as well as I did.  I have to thank my son for picking up some of the slack at home as I had so much to do.  We had to team  up on moving furniture around for the carpet cleaner guy, and he has done the majority of the dishes and all of his laundry.  I'm so proud that he understands and helps.  We also had a great marathon of The Office when both of us had a time.  I like that show a lot more than I did after watching a good season or so.

Education Essay

Somehow I feel like I've taken the easy way out on this essay, but I stand by my thought process.  I doubt my teacher will ever know that I used some training I received in Customer Service on this Essay.  The assignment was to present our Philosophy of Education and reference the standard philosophies from our book as reference for our methodology.

Joe Nash

EDUC 200

9:30am MWF

Philosophy in Education

            I am hoping to eventually teach in a post-secondary capacity, but I must also assume that I will be teaching High School students while continuing my education.  I think that any philosophy in teaching must be adjusted depending on the age of the children being taught, so in the case of my teaching preference, a High School or College aged student will have already had a base of education from which to work.  It’s important to take into consideration the foundation of education that a student has experienced thus far, and the fact that the student entering post-secondary or secondary education has already been in school for nine to twelve or more years.  My philosophy takes these factors into consideration, and also addresses each individual personality trait in a classroom.  Additionally, I would assume that as my level of education increases, so will the philosophy I choose change to fit each circumstance and each lesson learned.

            I find that each person lives primarily with one of three main personality traits that will determine how they learn and absorb knowledge.  The three main personality traits are; expressive, analytical, and driver.  At a younger age a student may still be developing into one of these three traits, but as a young adult or full adult, a student has likely fallen primarily into one of these categories. 

An expressive person has a difficult time remaining still for very long.  This has both physical and mental manifestations.  If you ask a question, you may get a long-winded answer, and they usually want to feel as though they are getting attention.  Expressive students in a classroom can be disruptive, and they can also find it difficult to focus.  Unless handled carefully, they can be a distraction for others, and also hamper their own learning.  Recognition or individual attention, and scheduled distractions from the material being taught can assuage an expressive student, and help them focus.

An analytical student tends to dissect instructions and assignments, and may find scheduled distractions frivolous.  An analytical personality type is usually an excellent student who questions appropriately, but when negatively motivated or inappropriately reinforced, can use any gray area as an escape from an assigned task.  They appreciate details and detailed instruction, and it helps them with their comfort zone.  Problem solving and puzzles are favored by an analytical student.

A driver, as a student, will lead when given an opportunity.  Analytical students tend to remain on task until completion, they procrastinate very little, and push others to match their personality.  A driver can always use reminders on acceptable interpersonal skills, and be reinforced to engender cooperation among their peers.

A student can possess each of these traits in different amounts, but usually one trait is the dominant force which drives a student’s behavior.  If used carefully, it is possible for a teacher to maximize learning for each individual in class by relating to each student in the way they receive learning the best.

Designing work groups of students to accomplish tasks and putting each of these personality types together in each group, could be successful.  Each student should be encouraged to learn how to cooperate.  For example: A history assignment on the reign of Alexander the Great could be designed to have three components to complement different personality types.  The first component would require a team leader to tie the different aspects of the project together, and write a related report. There would be a creative aspect to the project, like a map or representation of the territory of the world that Alexander conquered, suited for an expressive person.  Finally there would be a requirement for a chart or graph representing a timeline of the life of Alexander and significant battles, which would appeal to an analytical personality.  In addition, I think that my teaching philosophy would modify classroom behavior to promote learning, and the desire to learn.

Identifying different classroom activities, from contests among students for drivers, to learning games appealing to expressive student, to critical analysis discussions appealing to analytical students, can make learning interesting and fun for everyone.

Applying what I have learned regarding the main philosophies presented in our text book, [Teachers, Schools, and Society by Sadker and Zittleman pg. 187-203] I find that my approach to learning primarily combines three philosophies. 

Most modern classrooms insist on a healthy dose of Essentialism in order to ensure that a basic knowledge of the subject matter is attained.  I would include this philosophy as a primary goal in my teaching method, as my descriptions demonstrate.  Appealing to each personality type maximizes learning of the required material, and could even be efficient enough to go beyond what is required.  E.D. Hirsch Jr. champions an “inclusive curriculum” in his Cultural Literacy book, and I believe that my philosophy follows that idea precisely.

To a lesser degree, there is quite a bit of the philosophy of Progressivism in my teaching philosophy as well. It uses not only the “real world experience” that has reinforced the personality types each student possesses, but uses their skills efficiently to achieve a common goal.  Indeed even the proposal of my philosophy would be a “real world” experiment in teaching to help each student reach their potential, while at the same time learning to appreciate people who have different personality types.  I would even propose that John Dewey’s desire for students to “analyze experience thoughtfully and draw conclusions objectively,” could be enhanced with my philosophy and approach.

The last philosophy from our text book that applies to my philosophy is Perennialism. In studying great books, great film, or classic media, students can use their own personality type to learn the most based on student activities in the classroom, and outside as well.  By streamlining learning of these great works of literature, history and art, it will more quickly sort out those who are predisposed to more advanced learning, and identify opportunities to give attention where it is needed to lift up troubled students and maximize their potential.  Either way, it is important to learn from the past in order to reap the potential rewards that lay in our future, so it is critical that students discern what was considered great truths in the past, and apply those lessons to current society.  Only then can there be an appreciation for how far mankind has advanced, and convey the warnings and danger associated with repeating historical errors.  Combining this philosophy with activities that speak directly to individual personality types can be a powerful tool to opening up new avenues of learning, and discovering new truths to apply to future generations.

I’m sure that we will all add tweaks to make our teaching philosophies shine all the brighter in the future, but I think that appealing to the Analytical, the Expressive, and the Driver in each student, has untapped potential in today’s world of education.  I look forward to applying this philosophy, and what I learn in the future.  I will ogment or change my ambitious charge to create a comfortable working and learning environment, enhancing it time goes on.  Ultimately for student and teacher alike, it will be a classroom that never gets stale.  I look forward to the day when former students seek me out to show appreciation for the class that helped them achieve their goals.

English Essay

This is my English Essay.  Submitted within the past half hour.  Hopefully it will be worth a decent grade.  I'm a little nervous about it.

Richard Nash                                                                                                                          Page 1

English 102

Robert Poulos

21 February 2011

Applied Language Lessons

            “We’ve got off quite well don’t you think?  Shall I come over later and knock you up?” Thus begins a dilemma that can range from a simple misunderstanding, to an international incident.  In London this would be a perfectly normal sentence in conversation.  The U.S. translation might sound more like; “We’ve had a great time, can I come over later for a visit?”  A Brit on his first visit to the U.S. would identify himself as an overexcited moron bent on impregnating a young lady he just met recently, but in Great Britain, the speaker’s identity is interpreted as someone pleased with the way things are going, and he just wants to visit later at the lady’s home.  Language even within our own United States can be just as diverse and misunderstood when slang and local colloquialisms are taken into consideration, and who we are as a people can be difficult to dissect when misunderstandings due to language occur.

            I have to admit to having entirely too much fun with the British version of the English language while “playing” with patrons at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.  I worked for 10 years at Front Gate welcoming people, and saying “Fare Thee Well” at the exit gate.  I had tremendous fun in the lanes of the festival in times that ranged from the August heat in excess of 100 degrees to the snow that arrived in mid-October.  No matter the time of year, or the weather, people enjoyed my manufactured British accent that was so good; I even fooled natives of London who wanted to know what part of “England” I was from.  The language was a sensual mystery to some, and a complete mystery to others.  One weekend my brother and I even created a made-up language in an Italian accent.  People could still understand the basics of what we were intimating by our body language and physical comedy.  Our identities forever changed in the mind of the masses, if only for a little while.  Traditionally at the end of the day, it was difficult to get away from using the accent, so we repeatedly used the natural enemy of the “English” accent; the ‘Hick’ accent.  We would quote the same sentence 5 times. “The beer is in the pick-up truck.” which would miraculously cure us of our pretentious British identity, and we were demoted to simple Missourians.

            If you think about language origins and consider the different languages in the world, there are many examples that we can draw from to learn about the past of our own English language, and what the future may hold.  For example: The people in Finland and Estonia speak different languages, but can understand each other.  Swedish people can understand a good portion of Finnish people, and those from Norway as well.  Estonian people cannot understand those from Norway or Sweden, and those from Norway cannot understand any of what the Finnish or Estonian people are saying.  All of these languages share some common roots, or at least have been in relation to each other for so long that those in close geographic proximity have a common understanding.

            In the essay; English Belongs to Everybody, Robert MacNeil speaks of a widespread anxiety about English, and says; “There is anxiety about a crisis of literacy, or a crisis of semi literacy among high school, even college, graduates.”  He uses this to illustrate that there is sometimes an over-reaction to a change in language.  Surely language changes over the centuries and entirely new languages can emerge.  Spanglish is a term that has emerged in recent times to describe a mishmash of English and Spanish, and it spans the border between the U.S. and Mexico.  Here we have an example of what MacNeil was talking about.  The more amazing thing about it is that English has its roots in Germanic languages, yet Spanish is one of the romantic languages.  They have met half way around the world and united in a people who have more of an identity crisis than difficulty with language.  It seems the greater question than language is a question of assimilation of culture.

            The combining of languages, the addition of slang, and the lack of understanding of the language of origin, all emphasize the necessity of language and grammar rules from which to work.  These may cast a shadow on the identity of certain groups of people as a side effect, but the importance of the rules themselves is undeniable.  In an essay by Malcom X entitled; Discovering the Power of Language, Mr. X illustrates how a simple dictionary can be a truly powerful tool to transform ordinary lives into extraordinary lives that have an impact felt for generations beyond their own. He also stated that simply reading and understanding the words in a dictionary allowed him to read and gain understanding. He said; “Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine a new world that opened.” and “You couldn’t have gotten me out of books with a wedge.” Without dictionaries and learning language uses, a language, or combination of languages can become top-heavy and collapse and be reabsorbed into more dominant languages.  Even when using the diverse smorgasbord of slang from which to choose in our daily language, it is critical we are understood, and that ambiguity is set aside in favor of real understanding.  It is imperative that we keep an essentialist mind as we educate the young, and use the tools available so that when the leaders of our country speak, that citizens are able to understand not just the words on the surface, but can also question the meaning and of those words, and the true identity behind them.

            Steven Pinker in the essay; Words Don’t Mean What They Mean, states; “When people talk, they lay lines on each other, do a lot of role-playing, sidestep, shilly-shally, and engage in all manner of vagueness and innuendo.”  The dance this statement implies has become old hat in the arena of politics.  The politicians in power bank on the fact that the majority of the population, are willing to take the words for their surface meaning without attempting to read between the lines. They know that the opposition will dissect their speech for their own constituents so that they don’t have to chew on it themselves and glean any gems of contention.  Sadly many times, there are several questions that are missed, and the majority of the population chooses to ignore the fact that there is so much more than that which is presented to them in an easily digested format.  More immediate would be a person’s own friends and acquaintances who also “lay lines” on their own friends.  If you listen to the choice of the words used, and the manner in which they are used, you can discern those points in the conversation where potential information has a tendency to slip by unnoticed.  The masses become the “sheeple” who follow without thinking, and the two party system dominates the political landscape without any protest or struggle against the ‘powers that be’.  Education is one key to preventing a diminished future in this capacity.  

            Our “English” accents at the Renaissance festival were just a fantasy, but to others they can become a part of their own fantasy.  The only way this can be accomplished is with a suspension of disbelief.  When two fantasies or ideals are at cross purposes, it can have a profound effect.  For example: The Front Gate Performers, as we were known, became weary of the “Trekkies” (fans of Star Trek) who came every year and pretended they were on an ‘Away Mission’ to a primitive culture.  My friends at the time designed a plot to at least jostle them a bit. When they were milling about the entry area, pretending to read from their tri-corders, and role-playing their ranks in Starfleet, one of the Front Gate Performers stood in the middle of the square and yelled; “COMPUTER, FREEZE PROGRAM!” All of the performers froze in their positions.  No one moved for several minutes, and the Trekkies stood stunned.  We had used their sacred language out of turn.  With their identity shattered, they drifted off into the crowd.  We haven’t seen them return, in costume, in over 10 years to the Renaissance Festival.  Did they take their own fantasy too seriously, or was our crime so egregious that we were marked as cruel and banned by Trekkies?

            We can learn many lessons, and ask many questions based on the examples I’ve given, and the lessons we have learned from the authors quoted in this essay.  A couple of questions that I have an opinion on: What is an appropriate minimum for learning the language?  My hope is that we will learn enough so we will not be easily persuaded by words alone, without asking all of the important questions that apply to a given situation.  How do you recognize a real departure from an established language and label it as a new language?  Only time can answer this question as it seems to happen over many centuries.  My thinking is that once that new language has rules of its’ own, it has ceded from the language or languages of origin.

            Clearly no matter the amount of education we attempt to impart, the sarcasm, body language, and slang will continue to evolve without pause.  Individuals and groups will always figure out ways to slight one another, or laud one another using language as their chief tool.  The thing that we should take away without hesitation is that language is alive and growing and diversifying as the years go by.  English, for example, is increasingly being taught to foreign students across the globe, and in some cases is required to learn as a second language.  The presence of English speaking peoples spread across the globe almost guarantees that the language will survive.  Language in general identifies us in ways both positive and negative, and we should embrace learning about the nuances of the language of our origin despite pressure to the contrary.

            My hope is that people will rise in the places where education fails us.  If we know someone who cannot read, teach them.  If you can illustrate how language can affect a person when it comes to the critical things in life, for example; applying for a job, communicating an idea, asking for help, then you will find them more willing to learn.  If a person has a good grasp of language and the rules of that language, I am convinced that they can change their identity.  An education in language can change socio-economic status, outward perception, and open up opportunities.  If an individual rejects learning, they will be more likely to languish in poverty, and subject future generations of their family to the same fate.  It takes generations to change a family sometimes.  Look within yourself and choose the identity you want the world to see.  Know that you are likely choosing the same for your children, and for their children.  The alternative to learning is accepting what the media spoon feeds you about the world around you, and never questioning the policies put in place.  Without the powerful tools of language, it is difficult to see beyond the surface of what we are given.  I end with this question; what path will you reinforce for the innocents you are, or will be responsible for?       

Works Cited

Pinker, Steven. Essay "Words Don’t Mean What They Mean." Language Awareness Readings for College Writers Tenth Edition (2009): Pg. 72.

X, Malcolm. Essay "Discovering the Power of Language." Language Awareness Readings for College Writers Tenth Edition (2009): Pg. 43.

MacNeill, Robert. Essay “English Belongs to Everybody” Language Awareness Readings for College Writers Tenth Edition (2009): Pg. 65.

Stresssss

So aside from being swamped and kinda behind on a couple of things in classes at the moment, I have decided that leisure (even sitting staring into space) time is now a thing of the past for at least the next two weeks.  I will not have all of the online Aleks portion of my Math course completed to 25% by tomorrow when it should be done.  This will be the first thing I have not completed on time, but I WILL get it done by the end of tomorrow.  Then the hard stuff hits me. 

On next week's agenda: I have a 5 page essay paper due in English which has one more workshop session tomorrow before I start work on it, Three tests, one in Psychology which will require careful book reading and going over about 50 pages of notes, the second in Geography; a 180 question test plus essay (3 hour test), over the World Map, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and the British Isles.  The other test is for Education on Monday, and it will be over 3 chapters in our textbook, plus notes.  Knowledge of history in education and notable figures, educational philosophy and psychology, and Urban education.  In addition I will have a Math Quiz, and a Math paper due.

I'm feeling a little swamped in the school area.  Family members are hitting major bumps in the road at the same time, and I am powerless to help them. I have had a stress headache all week long.

You know what I say to all of this? ...... BRING IT!!

I set out to do all of this and do it well.  I know I can be the best teacher out there.  Changes in life are difficult, and I knew it would be a rough road.  I have never been more determined to change my life and make it something wonderful than I am at this moment. 

Want to kick me when I'm down Math problems?  You have come to the chap who'll oblige you in this fight.  You task me, you task me and I shall have you!  I'll chase you around the moons of Nibia, and around the Antares Malestrom and round Perdition's flames before I give up! And you're going down! 

I don't have to convince myself I can do this, because in my mind it has already been done.  I just need to go through the motions and do the excellent work I know I'm capable of.

Weebles Wobble, but they don't fall down.

Busy Busy

I haven't posted lately for several reasons both school related, and personal.  I'm here now, and that's good.

Last night I reviewed 5 English rough draft papers that we have to go over in a workshop for English.  Only one of them was enjoyable to read.  The other 4 were filled with glaring errors in both punctuation and grammar.  Run-on sentences and sentence fragments were flying at me like crazy.  It ended up being kind of time consuming.  The paper subject was on Language and Language Identity.  I have some great ideas on mine, but I generally don't do a rough draft, and sort of dive right in.  I find my first effort is usually the best.

I also had to finish an Algebra worksheet, an practice test, and spent a few hours doing math problems online to advance my progress there.  It became rather grueling.

Tonight I created a paper for Education 200.  We were required to write about what our teaching philosophy would be once we were teaching.  The first two pages were supposed to describe our teaching philosophy, and the last page was supposed to be about how it related to the 5 main philosophies in teaching that were in our textbook.

The philosophy I decided on was to use a student's personality type to help determine the method of teaching on an individual basis.  There are three main types of people, and I learned them in a "Customer Service Excellence" class.  There is the 'Driver' student(in charge, always goal oriented, strong leader), the 'Expressive' student (needs recognition, uses gestures and body language, creative mind), and the Analytical student (calculating and methodical, problem solver).  The idea was to design group projects to have a job for each personality type, and to use different motivational tools in the classroom that would get each different personality type excited about learning.  I found that the philosophy I was promoting was a combination of three different teaching philosophies; Essentialism, Progressivism, and Perennialism.

I feel good about the paper.  It ended up being a shade over 4 pages, which is more than the requirement.

Tomorrow I have to complete my English paper, create two maps for Geography class tomorrow evening, complete more online math, study for an Education test, and review my Psychology notes for a possible upcoming test.

This is by far the busiest week of school I have had.  Hopefully by Thursday it will calm down a bit.

Estimation of difficulty level

I think it's hard to tell how difficult a course will be until you've finished off about 3 weeks worth of classes.  Usually by then the more inquisitive teachers will have had one quiz at least, and lectures will generate a certain amount of notes from which you can guess how much studying is going to be required.  You'll finally have a good idea of the time committment involved for each class in order to "make the grade" and have a good measure of success.

Right now I'm only afraid of my Geography course.  Not because I can't do whatever is thrown at me, but because we've missed two classes due to weather out of a possible three.  Since the class only meets once a week, and in the evening, it will be time intensive anyway.  The class meets from 6:30pm to 9:15pm  The instructor warned us on the only class we have had so far about how his class is not easy, how he expects us to spend three hours studying for each hour we spend in class, and how we will be covering the material he has planned despite how many weeks of class may be missed.  That adds up to 6.5 hours of study, and about 6 hours spent on map creation every week (although my first two maps have been an esitmated 11 hours of work).  About a 12 - 13 hour committment each week for one of 5 classes is a tall order in addition to the accelerated pace.  I WILL do it, but this is just one of those unexpected little things that crop up when headed back to school.

I like how my Education teacher is very realistic about the teaching world.  Anyone who is not determined to be a teacher will likely drop that course.  Thank goodness my goal is middle-of-the-road as far as competition is concerned after graduation.  Not that it matters.  I'll be the very best, so people will just have to step aside for my awesomeness.  If I don't have confidence, then I should never have started this.  I'm going to forge ahead despite any difficulties.  I will always let people here who read know about all the wrinkles, who knows who it may help in the long run.

Planning on the run

Ok, so Friday at school the great lesson was; Marketability!

The UMKC representative for the Education department came in to class and went over their requirements and what they offer.  It looks like learning to teach in the KC area, despite how bad it is rated nationwide, actually gives you experience and tools to take into the field no matter where you go.  He mentioned that many Suburban schools, and even rural are coming to them to recruit.  They have a 95-100% placement for those graduating with a Bachelor's degree.

On the organization front, I did get quite a bit into my outlook calendar at home.  I am still lacking remote access to Blackboard, so I have a bit left to do.  I'll straighten that out with the IT folks on Monday at school.

I also checked with Financial Aid about student loans for next Fall, so I'm trying to stay ahead of things.  First and foremost I have to do my FAFSA for next year, and before I do that I have to do my taxes, so one step at a time, I'll get there.  Still waiting on one W-2 before I can start that process.

Lots to do, little time to do it.  I'll be very busy this next week especially, but I will still blog.  Have a great Superbowl Sunday!

Lessons for Friday and this week, and just... stuff

Well I wasn't proud of myself today.  I still haven't put in all of my test dates, class dates, paper due dates, and everything into my calendar on my phone or on Outlook.  I really need to get this done.  Because of the snow storm, a packet of Math that would normally be due today will be ok not being turned in until Tuesday, BUT, it could have cost me.  The problem is I had plans to visit the Math Lab on a snow day.  The teacher said not to let it throw me off because everyone has been dealing with altered schedules and we've lost basically a week of class for the semester, so instead of adding time at the end of semester, they have accelerated my classes.  yay? Anyway, the lesson I have learned is to work ahead so there are no surprises.  This may be the most important lesson to being successful in school.  Also... look at blackboard daily.... very important.

OK...

Today at school I started with the Aleks program of learning math on the computer.  It's kinda cool in that you can really learn on the computer without a teacher, but I'm still going to the math lab. hehe.

I wrote a diagnostic paper in English today.  Basically they give you 50 minutes to write on  the subject of an experpt taken from a book or article to test your language / grammar / punctuation skills so you know what to work on the rest of the Semester.  I hope it's all good news.  Where is my editor?  I need an editor so I don't have to worry about punctuation.